NFL needs to change ridiculous policy on marijuana testing

January 30, 2014|Mike Bianchi, SPORTS COMMENTARY

That pungent aroma emanating from the biggest football bong of them all – the Super Bowl — is the smell of the NFL getting a massive buzz on the idea of accepting marijuana – medical and otherwise – into its sport.

To this, I say … "Killer, dude!"

It's about time professional and college sports stopped with this reefer madness whereby big-time athletes can be suspended if they take a single toke from a marijuana cigarette, but can drink a bottle of Jack Daniels every night and nobody thinks twice about it.

The old argument that alcohol is legal and marijuana isn't no longer applies – and the Super Bowl has brought this to light. The two Super Bowl participants – the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks – are from the only two states in the country where recreational marijuana use is legal. However, 11 of the NFL's 32 franchises are from states that have legalized medical marijuana and that number may soon jump to 19, which would be significantly more than half the league.

Could the NFL seriously continue to suspend players who have been legally prescribed marijuana to help them deal with pain or the effects of concussions?

Could the league tell players that it's OK to continue to take strong and addictive painkillers, but it's not OK to use legalized medical marijuana?

“If you had a choice, would you want your players using OxyContin or medical marijuana?” says John Morgan, the high-powered Orlando attorney who has led the successful drive to get a proposed constitutional amendment on medical marijuana placed on Florida’s November general-election ballot. “That’s like asking would you want your daughter’s drink of choice in college to be beer or tequila?”

From listening to recent comments from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, it doesn't sound like he necessarily disagrees with Morgan. In fact, he has left the door wide open for the use of medical marijuana.

"I don't know what's going to develop as far as the next opportunity for medicine to evolve and to help either deal with pain or help deal with injuries, but we will continue to support the evolution of medicine," Goodell said this week. "… If medical experts ever say medical marijuana would help with concussions then [he] would consider allowing it."

Added Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll when asked if the league should consider allowing medical marijuana: "We have to continue to explore and compete to find ways that are going to make our game a better game and take care of our players in the best way possible. … Regardless of what other stigmas may be involved, I think we have to do this because the world of medicine is trying to do the exact same thing."

Carroll's use of the word "stigma" is incredibly appropriate considering the reasons pot was first made illegal back in the 1930s. MSNBC did some research a few years ago and found marijuana was outlawed in the 1930s mainly because of the ridiculous and racist rants of former federal narcotics commissioner Harry Anslinger, who believed marijuana made black men "think they're as good as white men."

"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers," Anslinger ranted to Congress back then. "Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others. . … Marijuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing. … Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."

That's right, ignorance is why marijuana is illegal and alcohol is not. It is why the NFL makes billions off of beer ads, but puts marijuana in the same forbidden category as heroin and cocaine in its drug-testing policy.

Even Jimbo Fisher, whose Florida State Seminoles just won the national championship, has railed against the arbitrary nature of our legal system and drug-testing policies.

When FSU star cornerback Greg Reid – as required by university policy — was dismissed from the team last year reportedly for failing multiple drug tests for marijuana, I asked Fisher his thoughts on the double standard between alcohol and marijuana.

"We look at alcohol like it's not a problem," Fisher answered in front of roomful of reporters. "Alcohol isn't illegal, and I understand that, but I'll tell you what, it causes as many deaths and bad circumstances as any other drug. But alcohol is accepted."

Fisher looked around at the horde of media members: "What if somebody told everybody in this room that you can't drink a beer again or you're going to get fired?"

A recently constructed billboard near the site of the Super Bowl in New Jersey probably said it best.

"Marijuana: Safer than alcohol … and football."

mbianchi@tribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @BianchiWrites. Listen to his radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on 740 AM.